NGOCSD Draft 5-15-15 Wangari Celebration Program
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Co CoNGO NGO Committee Committee on on Sustainable Sustainable Development, Development, NY NY Environmental,Environmental, social social and economicand economic development development that that meets meets the theneeds needs of theof thepresent present without without compromising compromising the abilitythe ability of future of future generations generations to meet to meet their their own own needs. needs. ~ “Turn~ “Turn Your Your Passions Passions into into Actions Actions for forCha Change”nge” ~ ~ NGOCSD General Membership Meeting: Friday, May 15th, 2015 ~ NGOCSD~ NGOCSD Members, Members, Colleagues Colleagues & Guests& Guests ~ ~ Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya in 1940 and was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. Wangari Maathai obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica College in WeAtchison, invite Kansas you (1964). to attendShe subsequently our Januaryearned a Master General of Science Membership degree from the University Meeting of Pittsburgh (1966). She pursued We idoctoralnvite studiesyou toin Germanyattend and our the UniversityJanuary of Nairobi,General obtaining Membership a Ph.D. (1971) from Meeting the University of Nairobi where she also taught veterinary anatomy. Ms. Maathai was active in the National Council of Women of Kenya from 1976-87 and was its chairman from 1981-87. During thisTuesday, time, she introduced January the idea27th of planting2015 trees~ Time: with the 2 people-4PM in 1976 and continued to develop it into a broad- based, grassrootsTuesday, organization January whose main 27th focus is2015 the planting ~ Time: of trees 2with-4 PMwomen groups in order to conserve the environment and improve their quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement she has assisted women in planting more than 20 million trees on their farms and on schools and2nd church Floor compounds. of the ProfessorUN Church Maathai Center was internationally recognized for her persistent struggle for democracy, human rights2nd and Floor environmental of the conservation. UN Church She addressed Center the UN on several occasions and spoke on behalf of women at 777 United Nations Plaza (located at E. 44th St. & First Ave.) special777 sessionsUnited of Nationsthe General PlazaAssembly (located for the five-year at E. review 44th of St. the & earth First summit. Ave.) She and the Green Belt Movement received numerous awards, most notably the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. Others include The Sophie Prize (2004), The Petra Kelly Prize for Environment (2004), The Conservation Scientist Award (2004), J. Sterling Morton Award (2004), WANGO Environment Award (2003), Outstanding Vision and Commitment Award (2002), Excellence Award from the Kenyan Community Abroad (2001), Golden Ark Award (1994), Juliet Hollister Award (2001), Jane Adams Leadership Award (1993), Edinburgh Medal (1993), The Hunger Project's Africa Prize for Leadership (1991), Goldman Environmental 2 PMPrize (1991), the Woman of the World (1989), Windstar Award for the Environment (1988), Better World Society Award (1986), Right Livelihood Award (1984)2 PMand the Woman of the Year Award (1983). Professor Maathai was also listed on UNEP's Global 500 Hall of Fame and namedWelcome one of the by 100 Co heroines-Chairs: of the world. Ms. In Margo June 1997, LaZaro she was elected & byMs. Earth Yvonne Times as one O’Neal of 100 persons in the world who have made a difference in the environmental arena. Professor Maathai also received honorary doctoral degrees fromYvonne several institutions O’Neal around the world: William's College, MA, USA (1990), HobartWelcome & William Smithby Co Colleges-Chairs: (1994),& NGOCSD UniversityMs. Margo of ExecutiveNorway LaZaro (1997) Committeeand & Yale Ms. University (2004). Professor Maathai served on the boards of several organizations including the UN Secretary& General's NGOCSD Advisory ExecutiveBoard on Disarmament, Committee The Jane Goodall Institute, Women and Environment Development Organization (WEDO), World Learning for International Development, Green Cross International, Environment Liaison Center International, the World WIDE Network of Women in Environmental Work and National Council of Women of Kenya.2:15 In -December2:45PM 2002, Professor Maathai was elected to parliament with an overwhelming 98% of the vote and was subsequently appointed by the president as Assistant2:15-2:45 MinisterPM for Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife in Kenya's ninth parliament. Professor Maathai left us in September of 2011 and we miss her dearly. ~ The Importance of Empowering Youth to Become Entrepreneurs ~ ~ The ImportanceMr. Arthur Amaya of Andambi, Empowering Minister Counsellor Youth of the toPermanent Become Mission Entrepreneurs Kenya to the United Nations ~ . In October 2014, Mr. Andambi was posted to the Kenya Mission to the UN in New York as Minister Counsellor where he is in charge of Second Committee matters and performs AdministrativeMs. duties Jennifer as Head of Chancery.Kushell Mr. Andambi was recruited by the Public Service Commission of Kenya in February 1990 as an Assistant Secretary. He worked mainly at the Ministry of Home Affairs where he performed duties of a CEO of SpecialYoung Programme & Successful for Refugees.Ms. Media He Jenniferworked and with the FounderKushell United Nations of YourHigh Commissioner Success forNow Refugees (YSN.com to ensure refugees) were given CEO of Youngthe status & Successfulthey deserved in Kenya.Media He was and also Founder involved in the of establishment Your Succes of refugees camps Now in the(YSN.com country and generally) worked with other aid agencies which were involved in the care and protection of refugees and forced migrants. Mr. Andambi worked briefly at the then Standing Committee on Human Rights in 2:45Kenya -4 wherePM the rights of Kenyans particularly those in prisons were protected. He also worked briefly at the Ministry of Public Works2:45- and4PM the Ministry of Lands during this period where he served as a Personal Assistant to the then Permanent Secretary. Mr. Andambi has a Master’s Degree in International Studies from the University of Nairobi. Graduated in September 2008 ~and The had graduated Emerging in 1989 withFrontiers a Bachelor’s inDegree Agriculture (First Class Honors) ~ in Sociology and Political Science from MS University of Baroda in Gujarat State, India.~ The Mr. as deployedEmerging to the Ministry Frontiers of Foreign Affairsin Agriculture and posted to the Africa ~ and AU Directorate where he dealt with African Union matters. In October 2008, he was posted to the Kenya Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden where he dealt with relations between Kenya and Sweden, Norway and Iceland. He worked as Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Chancery where he was in charge of the general administration of the Mission. In November 2012, he returned to Nairobi where he was reassigned duties as Deputy DirectorMr. Jorgeat the Africa Laguna and AU Directroate.-Celis His work there involved promoting relations between Kenya and other African countries including the African Union. Was later transferred to Europe and Commonwealth Directorate in the same capacity and his work involved promoting relationsSenior between Programme Kenya and European Management countriesMr. including Jorge Officerthe Commonwealth. Laguna on Intergovernmental- Celis Policy Co-ordination Senior ProgrammeUnited Management Nations Environment Officer on IntergovernmentalProgramme-NY Office Policy (UNEP) Co-ordination Ms. Lopa Banerjee, Chief of the Civil Society Section at UN Women, a position she has held since January 2012. She is based in New UnitedYork and Nationsleads UNWomen’s Environment work on strengthening Programme civil society-NY contribution, Office participation(UNEP) and influence in norm setting and intergovernmental policy discussionMs. andZubaida decision processes. Rasul A-Ronning gender and human rights thematic expert with substantive experience in social policy and governance issues across Asia and Africa, she has worked for over 3 decades in international development, policy Co-Founderadvocacy, communication and ViceMs. and President partnershipZubaida building Business Rasul across-Ronning theDevelopment/Strategic UN and in the private sector. She Operations has had a long career with the United Nations. Prior to the UN she workedGreenGrow with the private Venturessector as well as Inc. with civil society, in India. Before joining UN Women, she worked Co-Founderwith UNDP and and Vice OHCHR President in South Africa Business and UNICEF Development/Strategic in Iran (the Islamic Republic of), Bangladesh Operations and New York. In India, she worked for several years in communication,GreenGrow research and Ventures advocacy. She Inc. has worked with civil society in diverse spaces and facilitated UN-civil society engagement in South Africa,Mr. Iran Gordonand Bangladesh. M. Her Tapper areas of specialization include policy analysis and advocacy, partnership development and engagement, and Gender and Human Rights Based Programming and training. She speaks English, Hindi, Bengali and is learningFounder Spanish. and ChairMr. Gordonman of M.Give Tapper Them a Hand Foundation Founder and Chairman of Give Them a Hand Foundation Ms. Wanjira Mathai, Director, wPOWER,Mr. ChairBen ofFlanner the Green Belt Movement and Project Director for the Wangari Maathai CEO/Co-FounderInstitute andfor Peace Head & Environmental Farmer of Studies. the BrooklynPrior to this she Grange directed International